North Korea fired more than 10 short-range ballistic missiles on Thursday, according to South Korea’s military, hours after US President Donald Trump announced plans to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un later this year.

The missile launches came as South Korea and the United States conducted a scaled-down version of their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield military exercises.

North Korea has repeatedly criticised joint military drills involving the United States and South Korea, describing them as preparations for an invasion and often responding with weapons tests during such exercises.

Trump, who has expressed interest in reviving the relationship he developed with Kim during his first term, told reporters at the White House on Wednesday that he planned to meet the North Korean leader later this year.

The US president also stressed the importance of maintaining a relationship with Kim, saying it was important to “get along” with the North Korean leader.

Trump said North Korea currently possessed 57 “very powerful” nuclear weapons, although South Korean estimates put the country's arsenal at between 80 and 120 nuclear warheads.

Missile launches

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missiles were launched from the Pyongyang area at around 5pm and travelled approximately 300 kilometres towards the East Sea.

South Korean and US authorities were conducting a detailed analysis to determine the precise specifications of the weapons.

Following the launches, South Korea’s presidential office convened an emergency security meeting and condemned the missile tests as violations of United Nations Security Council resolutions.

Authorities also ordered the military to maintain heightened readiness.

US reduces military exercises

The latest development came amid changes to the annual US-South Korean military exercises.

Seoul announced that the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises would end on Friday, roughly a week earlier than initially scheduled, following a request from the US side.

The Pentagon said the reduction would not affect its training objectives.

The exercises are intended to strengthen preparations by the two allies for a potential attack from North Korea.

The United States maintains approximately 28,500 troops in South Korea as part of its longstanding defence commitment to Seoul.

Kim’s sister comments on Trump relationship

Kim Yo Jong, the North Korean leader’s influential sister, said on Wednesday that Kim had “good memories and feelings” about Trump and that the relationship between the two leaders remained “excellent.”

However, she said she was not aware of any current communication between them.

Trump’s announcement and the decision to shorten the military exercises have raised concerns among some US allies in Asia, while also generating speculation about Washington’s broader foreign policy priorities.

South Korean Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back said Seoul remained opposed to formally recognising North Korea as a nuclear-weapon state.

When asked whether Washington had abandoned its goal of denuclearising North Korea, Ahn said he did not believe that was the case.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, who has advocated stronger domestic defence capabilities to reduce the country’s dependence on the United States, said he would do his utmost to support Trump’s efforts to pursue peace with North Korea.